Concentrator



May 3, 1927..

' J. B. DODDS CONCENTRATOR Filed Dec. 29, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2 %rromvay.

May 3 1 2 J. B. DODDS CONCENTRATOR med Dec. 29. 192s 1" l Sheets-aiiept. 2

IN ENTQR.

' ATTORNEY.

Patented May 3, 1927.

UNITED? STATES JAMES B. DODDS, 01* DENVER, conoimno.

cononnrnaron.

Application filed December 29,1925.. Serial No. 78,183.

A further objectof the'invention is'to provide in the machine of the above d.6-

scribed character means for the separation of the values in material under treatment .hy upwardly directed impulses, distributed over-the entire extent thereof; another objectis to expedite and promote the separative action. by laterally reciprocating movement 1' of a table on which the material is treated, and still another object resides in the provision of means whereby a, partial discharge of the separated metals is effected at aplurality, of different movement of the material along the table.

Further advantages of the invention will be found in details of construction and a novel arrangement of parts as fully set forth in the following description with ref-- erence to the accompanyingdrawings. V

Inthe drawings, in the several views of which like parts are similarly designated,

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the concentrating machine, the upper portion of itssupporting frame including the feed hopper, having been omitted, I

Figure, 2, a transverse vertical section taken on the.line. 2-2 Figure 1,v

Figure 3, a front elevation ofthe ma-. chine,.including the feed-hopper, looking in the direction. of the arrow A in Figure 1.,

Figure f, a plan vieWiof-thetable of the machine,

Figure 5, an enlarged plan view of a'por: tion of the table drawn to a larger scale, showing one. of the appliancesprovided to effect a partial separation and discharge during the movement of the material {along the table,

. Figure 6-,.an enlarged section: taken ontheline 66, Figure of thearrow B, a t

Figure 7 a similar section in the same plane looking in the opposite direction, and

Figure: 8, represents, a fragmentary sectional elevation showing amodified method ofv subjecting the deck of the concentrat ing table to upwardly directed impulses =by fluid rpressure... R

Referring, in detail 1 tolthei drawinggi: the

5, looking in the direction points in the concentratingv machine comprises a support- V ing structure composed of threeinter-com nected .upright framednembers 5, 6 and 7. A superstructure S of the frames 5..and ,6 supports a hopper 9'into which the material under treatmentis fed from. a conveniently located source of supply, and. an endless belt 10 beneath the hopper carries the ma,-

terial to a point of discharge above the upper end portion of an inclined table 12 which in the operation of the machinecone centrates the material for the separation of its minerals from the sands and gangue in whichthey. are contained.

The feed-belt 10 is supported ontworolla ers 13, mounted for rotationin'boxes 14 on horizontal sills 15 secured between the frames 5 and 6 of the supporting structure, andvthe boxes of one of the rollers are slid ably mounted to adjust the tension .of the belt through the medium of screw-bolts 16.

The concentrating table mentioned hereinbefore, is suspended in a lengthwise 'in clined position by means of 'four rod's 17 which are pivotally connected with. ear-s18 on thesides of the table to permit ofzits lateral reciprocation. p s The rodspass loosely through. openings in cross-pieces at the upper ends-of. the frames 6 and 7, and their upper-ends are screw-threaded for; the application of wing; nuts 19 by means ofwhich they are-sup; ported ont-he frames,

. The nuts provide" a convenient medium for. the adjustment of: the rods in order totvarythe inclination ofthe table in accordance. with the nature; ofthe material under treatment.

The table 12 comprises a rifiled deck i20 composed of canvas or other flexible ma terial peripherally fastened in a 'rectangue larframe 21 and looselyv supported on crossslats 22. Hinged at the lowerendof; the

deck-frame is the movable member123 of a bellows, the air-chamber 2 f .of;which is, defined by sides 25 ofthin; leather orthe like, the member. 23.being provided with a valve controlled inlet 26, for the admission of .air during downward movement thereof.

The tableis furthermore; provided with two side-rails 27 and 28 extending above. its deck, and with appliances. for the. partial separation and discharge. of thefminerals moving along the rifliesof the deck Therifiles 29 extend obliquely tofith'ealonspacesbetween the riflles and gitudina] axis of the table with their lower ends terminating at a distance from the re spective side-rail 27. The upper edges of the rililes slant inwardly as shown in Fig ure 6, and the sidc-rail27 has inalinement with said edges of the rifiies,outlet-openings 30, preferably provided with outwardly projecting tubular spouts 31.

The separating appliances above referred to, which in the operation of the machine, effect a partial discl'iarge of the values through the openings 30, consist of metal plates of angular, substantially V-shaped form, one member 32 of which occupies the the apertured side'of the table in alinement with the riffies and the other member 33 of which extends toward the next lower riliies and terminates at a distance from the upper edge thereof.

The plates are fastened upon the deck of the table by screws 34 and the inwardly extending members of the vided with upstanding flanges 35 which extend to and below the discharge-openings in the side of the table.

The uppermost riflie of the oblique series is disposed at a distance below the upper edge of the deck to provide a space 184 upon which the feed'discharged from the apron 10 is received, and a guide-strip 35 extending from the side of the'table obliquely to the upperone of the rifiies 29, directs the feed toward the uppermost portion of the same. A driving shaft 36 mounted in boxes'on the frame 6 beneath the upper end of the inclined table, carriesa pulley 87"f0r its connection with a conveniently located motor.

Two eccentrics 38 on the sameshaft, have their rods 39 in pivotal connection with the movable member 23 of the bellows at the upper end thereof, to impart a reciprocating motion to the member by rotation of the shaft, and a sprocket wheel 40 on theshaft, together with corresponding wheels42 and 41, one of the rollers 13 0f the feed apron and an intermediate shaft 43, ,operate the apron through the medium of chains 44 and 45. v

A lateral vibrating motion is imparted to the table by means of a cam 46 mounted on a shaft 47 supported in boxes on the frames 6 and 7, in cooperation with springs en.- gaging the opposite sides of the table. The tension of the springs may be varied by adjustment of screws 56. A chain 48 connects the cam shaft with a lower parallel shaft 49, and the latter by means of beveled gear wheels 50 ant 51 connected with the driving shaft. Y V

In the operation of the machine, the material fed onto the upper portion of the table is by means of the guide-strip 35 directed to the upper portion of the upper one of the series of oblique riflies 29. -.-The laterally 'shaking motion of the table,

$31118 Elle PTO imparted thereto by the cam '46 causes the material to move downwardly across the rililes while the minerals coi'itaineijl' in the material will form a stratum below the The values movingdownwardly along the riftles continue their movement along the therewith alined edges of the members 32 ot the separating plates which are of lesser depth, with the result that the heavier and.

most valuable particle s pass through the openings 30 in the side 27 of the table, while the minerals of lesser value and the ganguev with which they are still intermixed, pass i across the member 32 and are by the flanged member 33 of the separator, directed toward the next following riflie.

The operation hereinabove described is repeated until the material reaches thelower end of the table where the remaining minerals are'discharged at the lower edge of the lowermost little while the "gangue passes across the rilile andth'ence over the edge of the'table. i l

' By the operation of my machine, a practi j ,cally clean separation of the minerals from the sands, rock and other gangue with which they are associated may be obtained in a simple manner and without the use of water or other liquids necessary in wet concentration. I

The operation may itso desired, be aided by tilting the table slightly toward its dis charge sideyand the upwardly directed imf pulses by fluid pressure may be, produced by means other than the bellows, as for example, an interniittentlysopened valve in connection with a source of compressed air. .An arrangement of this kind has been'i'llustrated in Figure 8 in which 57 designates l (is the air'chamber beneath the deck of the 3 table, 58 a valve adapted to connect the chamber alternately with a pipe 59 connected with a source of compressed air and with the atmosphere, and an eccentric 60 by which the valve is operated. Other varia-' tions in the construction and arrangement of the parts of the machine may be resortedto without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. i I V 3 What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is. v i 1. -In a concentrator, a table having an impervious rifiled flexibleideck,-and means for subjecting the deck to upwardly directed ampiulses by a fluid medium underneath the co; w v 2. In a concentrator, a table having an impervious 'rifiledflexible deck, a bellows below the deck adapted to subject the same to upwardly directed impulses by intermittent air-compression, and means for the operation of the bellows.

3. In a concentrator, a moving table having a deck and a side-rail along an edge thereof, provided with a discharge-opening, a rifi'le on the deck, slanting toward the siderail in line with the discharge-opening, and a member between the riflle and the opening todirect part of matter caught behind the riflie to the opening, the member being lower than the riflie for the movement of the other part of said matter across the member.

4;. In a concentrator, a moving table having a deck and a side-rail along an edge thereof, provided with a discharge-opening, a rifile on the deck, slanting toward the siderail in line with the discharge-opening, and an appliance between the rifile and the opening for the partial separation and discharge of matter'caught behind the riffle, comprising a member of lesser height than the riflie forming an extension of the same to the opening, and a member extending obliquely inwardly from the opening for the direction of matter moving across the first mentioned member.

5. In a concentrator,a moving table havlng a deck and a side-rail along an edge thereof, provided with a discharge-opening,

a riffle on the deck, slanting toward the siderall in line with the discharge-opening, and

an appliance between the riifle and the opening for the partial separation and discharge of matter caught behind the riffle, comprising a member of lesser height than the riflle forming an extension of the same to the opening, and a flanged member extending obliquely inwardly from the opening for the ing riflle, the lower riflies of the series ter-' minating in the lower edge of the deck. a

7. In a concentrator, a moving table having a deck and a side-rail along an edge thereof, provided with a plurality of discharge-openings, rifiies on the deck slanting toward the discharge-openings, separating members of lesser height than the rifiles, forming extensions thereof to the openings,

and guide members extending obliquelyv from the openings toward the next following rifiies.

8. In a concentrator, a moving table having an impervious flexible deck and a siderail along an edge thereof, having a plurality of discharge-openings, riflies on the deck slanting toward the discharge-openings,

separating members of lesser height than the rifiles, forming extensions thereof to the openings, guide-members extending obliquely from the openings-toward the next following rifiles, the lower rifile of the series terminating in the lower edge of the deck, and means for subjecting the deckvto upwardly directed impulses,

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

JAMES B. DODDS. 

